Sharks return to winning ways

Cronulla have ended a three-match losing streak, defeating the Sydney Roosters 16-10 in their round 15 National Rugby League match at Shark Park.

The Sharks, who went into the match in fifth place on the ladder, launched a second half comeback to down the Roosters who had led 10-2 at half-time.

Nigel Vagana, Paul Mellor and Phil Bailey all scored tries for the home side while Luke Covell added one conversion.

Covell also kicked a penalty goal in the first half.

For the Roosters, who were kept scoreless in the second half, Ryan Cross and Joel Monaghan scored tries and New South Wales State of Origin second rower Craig Fitzgibbon kicked one conversion.

The Roosters had enjoyed the majority of possession in the first half, forcing Cronulla to complete a mountain of defensive work.

But following half-time, the Sharks were able to see more of the ball and they used their attacking opportunities wisely to score their three tries.

The win could see Cronulla move back into the top four at the end of round 15, while the Roosters could slip out of the top eight should other results not go their way.

The 2002 NRL premiers have now slumped to their seventh loss of the season.

Roosters on top

The Roosters were hampered prior to the match by the withdrawal of New South Wales utility Craig Wing, who had been named at half-back.

Wing was forced out of the match with a back complaint.

The Sharks were not helped either when they made a disastrous start to the match with hooker Greg Bird knocking the ball on from the kick-off.

With the early territory advantage, the visitors threatened to score in the opening stages but it was not until the 10th minute that they posted their first try through Cross.

Positioned centre field and only five metres out from the Sharks tryline, the Roosters ran right through half-back Brett Finch who angled his run towards his outside support.

Instead of passing to his right, Finch offloaded inside to the shadowing Cross, who worked his way through a cluster of Sharks defenders gathered on the tryline to score.

Fitzgibbon made the conversion to establish a 6-0 lead.

Cronulla registered their first points of the match in the 23rd minute when Covell landed a penalty goal from in front of the posts, cutting the Roosters' lead to four points.

But it was as close as the Sharks could get to their opponents in the first half, with Monaghan scoring his try on the stroke of half-time.

Having worked their way upfield, the Roosters launched a series of attacks on Cronulla's right-side defence and they created an overlap when Cross cut out Fitzgibbon with a pass that found Monaghan on the left-hand touchline.

With the Sharks having devoted their defensive attention to Fitzgibbon, Monaghan was able to waltz over for his try before an altercation broke out between both sides in the in-goal area.

Fitzgibbon missed the conversion, but the Roosters were able to take an eight-point lead into the break

Sharks comeback

The Roosters were unlucky not to add to their lead early in the second half when Vagana held up Cross over the tryline.

Vagana had a further influence on the match when he scored Cronulla's first four-pointer soon after his try-saving effort.

After gaining the feed to a scrum near the Roosters 20-metre line, the Sharks ran right to the open field through Adam Dykes, who committed the defence with a dummy switch pass to David Peachey.

Dykes fed Vagana instead, the Kiwi representative then dummying to his outside support in David Simmons before crashing over for a try in the right-hand corner.

Covell kicked the conversion to leave the score 10-8 in the Roosters' favour.

The Sharks crossed for their second try 10 minutes later through Vagana's centre partner Mellor.

Cronulla launched an attack down the left-hand touchline with Mellor firing a pass to Covell.

The Sharks winger attempted to pass back infield but the ball made contact with a Roosters defender, before Mellor brilliantly picked it up almost on his boot laces.

Mellor then placed a grubber kick into the in-goal area, grounding the ball just before it headed into touch in-goal.

Despite Covell missing the conversion, the Sharks now led 12-10.

They closed out the scoring in the 75th minute when Bailey crossed for his side's third try, giving the Sharks a deserved ninth victory of the season.